Iran Walks The Talk To Halt Peace Negotiations With the US After Trump Threat

Iranian negotiators have suspended high-stakes talks with the US in Switzerland
in protest at a volley of threats issued by US President Donald Trump.

There is still no clarity on whether Iran’s defiant show of protest will persist or only trigger an aggressive stance in the peace talks, which began in the Swiss ski resort owned by Qatar on Sunday.

Iranian officials reportedly told Reuters that peace talks In Switzerland “have paused but not ended.”

Trump later posted he had a conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah representatives, who have agreed to halt fighting in Lebanon. Both agreed not to target the rivals, he promised, NBC reported.

A lasting ceasefire in Lebanon was Iran’s key demand, and the development is seen as a step to placate an enraged Tehran.

Iran has reportedly reached a draft agreement over how the US will issue a waiver lifting sanctions on its oil exports, another of Tehran’s precondition to open talks on its nuclear file, Guardian reported.

The waivers would be issued soon, according to indications from Iranian aides. They also hinted that the demand to unfreeze Iranian assets held in overseas bank accounts have met with some positive response during the initial negotiations.

Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate lifting the blockade on the strait of Hormuz. That was to lead to talks lasting 60 days on dismantling Iran’s nuclear program.

Tehran has registered its protest at the statements made by President Donald Trump, casting a shadow over the peace talks in Switzerland, Tehran’s state-backed news agencies reported.

Fars News Agency reported that Trump’s statements disrupted the negotiations and cast doubt on their future. Tasnim News Agency, linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported the Iranian delegation had left the venue in protest.
The Iran Observer citing a Tasnim report said the talks have been put on hold for the time being.

Iran’s parliament Speaker and head of the negotiating team, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, slammed Trump’s earlier remarks, saying, “If their threats had worked, they would not have reached today’s impasse.” Iran, he stressed, pays “no attention to American threats.”

“Our armed forces are prepared to respond to them in another way. The more they talk, the more we act.”

Earlier on Sunday, President Donald Trump posted a threatening message aimed at Iran, sparking concerns that the talks could get derailed at the slightest provocation as the Iranian side was already wary of the US upholding peace commitments.

“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Lebanon has said at least 47 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since Friday. Israel claims four soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were killed.

Trump had slammed Israel last week for launching strikes amid fears that Israel is trying to pull the US back into war. Reports said the US president was referring to the clashes in Lebanon between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel.

The peace talks, dubbed the Lake Lucerne Summit, got underway at the Qatari-owned Swiss mountainside resort earlier on Sunday. Mediators Qatar and Pakistan are also participating in the talks.

“The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together? Can we turn over a new leaf?” US Vice President J D Vance was quoted as saying by the Associated Press earlier on Sunday.

Vance had said the sides have made progress before the threat by Trump threatened to derail the talks.

Iran’s reluctance

A reluctant Iran was reportedly persuaded by mediators to begin talks in the wake of its announcement to halt transit through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday following the Israeli strikes.

Iran’s point of contention is that talks are unacceptable as the initial framework involving a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon has been violated by Israel. The US has failed to uphold its commitments regarding the ceasefire, and hence the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had to be resorted to. A ceasefire was reportedly again agreed to by the warring sides in Lebanon late on Friday afternoon.

A Press TV report said Iranian negotiators had formally raised objections with the US side.

“The Iranian delegation has raised its objections to the American side and is currently assessing the conditions to give a proper response to Trump’s verbal threats,” the report said.

Iranian officials have reportedly told Reuters that peace talks between Iran and US In Switzerland “have paused but not ended.”